abstract:Mazu (), also spelt Matsu and Ma-tsu, is the Chinese goddess of the sea who is said to protect fishermen and sailors. Her birthplace was Meizhou (湄州) in Putian County (莆田縣), Fujian Province.
Mazu is believed to have lived in the tenth century on Meizhou Island, where she dedicated herself to helping her fellow townspeople, and died attempting to rescue the survivors of a shipwreck.
Deeply integrated into the lives of coastal Chinese and their descendants, belief in and commemoration of Mazu is an important cultural bond that promotes family harmony, social concord, and the social identity of these communities.
As the most influential goddess of the sea in China, Mazu is at the centre of a host of beliefs and customs, including oral traditions, religious ceremonies and folk practices, throughout the country s coastal areas.